Recording Studio Intro - I Say a Little Prayer" - D. Wa

[streamlinemoderne]

This is a reposting of the query I made earlier about a song intro.

The version I'm looking for didn't seem like a live concert version so much as a studio version where they left the studio sounds in - the orchestra tuning up and getting ready to record - the part of the tape that would normally be cut out until the beginning of the song. There were no audience sounds, just engineers talking and people clearing their throats. But it was magical to hear. Like the beginning of The Beatles' "Tax Man" on "Revolver". It almost sounds like a Phil Spector recording session.

Well, I will try and find "Very Dionne" and see if that's what I heard. Thanks for everybody's help. Please post more!

Thanks! Tracy

[BachtoBacharach]

streamlinemoderne, the version of ISALP you are referring to is from "The Scepter Records Story" a three CD compilation of the best Scepter tracks. Of course, several DW/BB/HD tracks are included. The ISALP track begins with Phil Ramone announcing "10" (take 10) and Dionne clearing her throat as Burt begins the count off then a piano riff on the intro and then a trumpet riff and you can hear him say something to Gary Chester, something like "Chester 1 2 3 4 then the familiar intro starts. There is about 15 seconds of studio chatter with the count off included in that version. In the same compilation, there is a snippet of studio chatter and Burt's count off with Walk on By.

There is a version of If I Ever Make You Cry from the French label Disky double cd of the albums Here I Am/Here Where There Is Love that includes studio chatter where Burt says somthing to Dionne and she sings OK in answer and Burt can be heard doing the count off.

Interesting, and I wish more of the extraneous material were included in the Rhino handmade series of reissues.

[streamlinemoderne]

I will have to research this! Thanks for all the information!

[Alistair]

Thanks to you guys for the heads up on the Scepter Records Story 3 CD set!
Managed to get hold of a set via Ebay ( for a great price!), and there are some real Bacharach goodies on it too - I love the Chuck Jackson version of "Any Day Now", Tommy Hunt's "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself", and, of course Dionne's hits are there too - made even better with the added delights of hearing the studio chatter before the songs begin....
Just reminded me what a great little label Scepter was.

[ron]

Scepter was indeed a great little label; however, the inferior quality of their vinyl pressings always left something to be desired. Listening to the remastered re-issues over the past few years of those great BB/HD/DW recordings has brought a whole new level of appreciation for the impeccable quality of that work.

[Guest]

Yes,Ron...
Us Bacharachites and Warwickites had a rough time with the styrene 45 pressings used for scepter/wand records..about 20 or 3 plays and they were "Shot!".They were good for re-shaping the needle on one's record play to a blunt point.
A few pressing plants here and there used some vinyl instead of styrene...(walk on by..The Breaking Point-Chuck Jackson)etc..but the Quality was not good...anyway..great to hear stuff
from the master tapes finally...